Across the state, the humble bicycle is mobilizing efforts to usher in a new era of public transportation. In part three of our series on transit innovation in PA, we navigate the connection between buses, bikes and the commuters who depend on them.

Whether you're a 16-year-old who's never touched a power tool, a union carpenter, a design student, or a 20-something skateboarder, this Philadelphia program offers an opportunity to design, build and even sell your next big idea.

Across the state, finding your way using public transportation is about to get easier. In part two of our transportation series, Keystone Edge guides you to the best resources for getting around on train, bus, foot, bike or incline.

From bus-tracking apps to robotic traffic signals, there are big ideas coming out of Pittsburgh, and they could have a huge impact on transportation statewide. Meanwhile, across PA, transit goes high-tech.

The City of Brotherly Love is still a bastion for quirky independent stores selling classic superhero tales, rare back issues, manga, independent titles and more. As comics continue to provide grist for the blockbuster mill, don't neglect the charms of the source material.

As we look forward to the new year, Keystone Edge highlights a group of game-changing Commonwealth companies. Whether they're brewing beer, saving lives, making life more convenient or helping kids learn better, these startups are poised for a big 2015.

From landscaping to neighborhood entrepreneurship to cutting-edge training, the Job Opportunity Investment Network (JOIN) announces four big grants to projects that should help Philadelphians create and fill good jobs.

In response to some of the most essential issues of our time, dozens of communities across the U.S. -- including in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh -- have formed effective, innovative partnerships with the police, improving safety and trust between residents and law enforcement.

From charming restaurants to annual events to sidewalk socializing, this strong, tight-knit community helped shape the city as we know it. And while iconic Italian neighborhoods continue to evolve and diversify, a rich tradition remains.

The Head & the Hand Press gives a voice to local writers, especially those outside the literary establishment. But that's only part of their mission -- they are also building community at their shared space on Fishtown's Frankford Avenue.

From innovative cooking classes to job training to community gathering spaces, the Free Library and its many branches are evolving to meet 21st Century needs. Now, thanks to a huge influx of funds, that process is more ambitious than ever.

The Mantua community comes together to drive a revolutionary rezoning process that will foster homeownership, vibrant commercial corridors and increased food access in this West Philadelphia neighborhood.

This tiny borough outside Philadelphia is benefitting from broader urban trends towards walkability, independent businesses and unique restaurants. Jenkintown's success reviving its town square and adjacent corridors bodes well for the region as a whole.

In September, the Urban Innovation Exchange hosted its first convening in Detroit. Participants came from around the country -- including Pittsburgh and Philadelphia -- to turn Motor City into a marketplace for ideas.

Small businesses and startups in the City of Brotherly Love now have a powerful new tool: Kiva Zip provides crowdfunded, zero-interest loans to entrepreneurs that engage with their communities. Become a lender on October 15 and double your impact.

In a bit of serendipity, both a group of successful CEOs and best selling author Walter Isaacson were in Philadelphia last week. Across two events, they delivered a cohesive message: Innovation, execution and success depend on teamwork.

Last week, the latest class of startups entered DreamIt Ventures' tech accelerator. These fledgling entrepreneurs could be building the next billion-dollar company or learning to fail fast -- the next 90 days will say a lot.

Big changes are coming to one of Philadelphia's most central neighborhoods -- and now Governor Cornett has committed $2.5 million to this groundbreaking development, bringing the state's total investment to $10 million.

WetLand, an inventive experiment in off-the-grid, on-the-water living, showcases a daring side of Philadelphia's FringeArts. The festival runs September 5-21, but the houseboat/art installation is open now.

Over the last four years, The Food Trust's wildly popular Night Markets have invigorated commercial corridors throughout the city, drawing thousands for strolling, eating, drinking and engagement with the arts. Tonight it rolls into West Philly.

Cities are reinventing themselves in exciting new ways. Can small-scale projects have big impact? Join the Urban Innovation Exchange this September 24-26 in Detroit to explore creative projects driving neighborhood transformation.

Despite the move towards all things local, many ingredients in beloved beers are sourced from thousands of miles away. Fortunately, savvy brewers nationwide are now engaging with their local food sheds, partnering with nearby farms and incorporating smartly-sourced flavors.

The co-founder of this Conshohocken-based eCommerce marketing company believes that targeting and personalization are the keys to success in the Internet age. He chats with Keystone Edge about changing technology, educating clients and the tremendous growth of Monetate.

Artists are often the first to move into urban neighborhoods, and the first to move out when rents rise. Yet in the post-recession landscape, many communities are working with artists to engage residents and transform blight.

Keystone Edge takes a look at three of this year's Knight Foundation grantees: Sean Stoops looks to liven up local subway tunnels; Mighty Writers cultivates critical thinking; and The African American Museum in Philadelphia takes a hard look at an agricultural legacy.

Whether they're disrupting summer reading, crafting a heat-producing window or inventing novel ways to save ink, these five ascendent entrepreneurs are growing their businesses, while also keeping an eye on their social impact.

The current labor market requires innovation, creativity and commitment -- not only to finding the best workers, but to cultivating them. Meet two Philadelphia companies committed to rethinking how they train and hire.

Many of Philadelphia's inner-ring suburbs are recapturing that Main Street magic -- their resurgent downtown districts feature cool bars, creative dining and plenty of charm. To explore, all you need is a SEPTA ticket and an open mind.

This century-old neighborhood institution closed its doors last year. As with other schools shuttered by the District, its future is in limbo. Could it become a vocational school? A community space? A mixed-use hub? Time will tell.

An area of West Philadelphia earns a prestigious national designation, but according to stakeholders and residents, this decree from President Obama is actually a symbol of the changes already underway.

Recently passed legislation will help create the largest municipal land bank in the country. But what's truly miraculous is the motley crew of backers who helped make it happen, from developers to affordable housing advocates to urban farmers and community groups.

Despite a plethora of top-flight educational institutions and innovative companies, there is still a shortage of PA workers skilled in science, technology, engineering and math. Keystone Edge interviewed some of the fields' key thinkers.

Whether you're talking about schools, getting married or engaging with architecture, Quaker traditions endure. Now a new generation of leaders is bringing the doctrines into a modern era through community engagement and digital media.

Late last year, one of Philly's most high-profile and innovative small business owners decided to shut her doors. Turns out the end of a business can tell us just as much about the city's entrepreneurial ecosystem as the beginning.

The organization's new waterfront headquarters is now hosting shows, but the former pumping station's transformation into arts hub/waterfront dining destination/hip event space is still a work in progress.

With arts education continually on the chopping block, this innovative, interactive, interdisciplinary program teaches youth about the building blocks of music -- and allows them to join in on the fun.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, the Philadelphia-based entertainment giant introduces His Dream, Our Stories: The Legacy of the March on Washington.

The Wild West-like world of online intellectual property and new media calls for a different kind of sheriff -- enter Greising Law, a firm making a name for itself representing startups, artists and emerging tech companies.

With help from the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, KZB Advisors principal Karen Zinn facilitated a strategic plan that will help Isaiah Zagar's gang of mosaic magic-makers keep shining on.

Philly's low-cost amenities are among the traits that make it a desirable city in which to live, but patterning the city after Silicon Valley might not be wise, says this fast-rising economist who also plays sax in a local jam band.

Gap years are mostly popular in the U.K., but this Philadelphia University student's series uncovers how a gap year can transform the job prospects, resume, and spirit of any student -- or workforce veteran.

A cross-state partnership will produce Pennsylvania's second new medical college in the last five years, addressing a critical shortage of physicians in Western PA and bolstering the state's life sciences sector.

Eight years ago, she left her big city job to join her husband's solar installation company. Today, she relishes her status as one of the state's leading installers -- and promoter of PA's energy industry.

Early stage medical, energy and internet-based companies are again the focus of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania's latest investment round, including $500,000 for Green Power Technologies.

Forbes points out the obvious - our industrial heritage - in ranking Philly atop its toxic cities list, but our own report finds that while we have some work to do, we live in an environment that's increasingly sustainable.

It's easier for people in Pennsylvania to recycle and they can recycle more materials than they could a few years ago. That turns into great news for people who make a living turning old things into new.

It's about more than just needles, ink and skin for these artists. Through collaboration, unique gallery spaces, a passion for their work and a positive vibe, they're making quite an impact on the state's fine arts community.

In Modena, a Chester County town of 600 still reeling from unemployment as the local steel industry shriveled, this innovative company is making a big impact, providing a valuable service to businesses.

A new breed of assisted technology firms is using computers and related devices to help the disabled go to work, a hope held by many and promoted by a number of public and private organizations across the state.

Starting in telemarketing and now firmly planted in the energy sector, this CEO of a Pittsburgh-based company that helps building owners and managers run their facilities more efficiently is well-positioned to continue explosive growth.

The Department of Technology and Code for America program are working to make currently private data sets public, allowing real time access for citizens and the opportunity for developers to create applications to use the data in new ways.

As CEO of a company that helps counterparts in the power industry streamline operations, he has made some of the biggest names in the country his clients--as well as pioneered an innovative application that gives renewable energy a big boost.

Center City native Clint Randall's job is entirely devoted to helping connect city planning with public health, putting Greater Philadelphia at the forefront of an important growing trend that can heal what ails us.

A veteran ticketing entrepreneur tabbed by U2 and Pearl Jam, Jim McCafferty of the Mann Center for the Performing Arts was named Outstanding Ticketing Professional at the annual INTIX conference last month.

The energy and marketing veteran is focused on demand response innovation from a growing company straddling Silicon Valley and PJM Interconnect territory in Southeastern PA. Time is running out to save cash and electricity for institutional customers in the coming year.

As we put away our Terrible Towels for the season, Pennsylvania's social media and environmental victories last week were super in their own right, setting a new bar for Foursquare and for sustainable cheerleading, respectively.

A new device developed and made in PA that retails for $48 could help stem the country's annual wasting of more than $10 billion in electricity due to appliances being left on or in standby mode. It also further cements the state's leadership in energy efficiency.

BioAdvance, the Southeastern PA funder of promising life sciences startups, played an integral role in steering Avid Radiopharmaceuticals and its molecular brain imaging technology toward the big time.

Steve Ebner's passion for anything wood has helped build a sustainable
sawmill operation unlike any other in the region when it comes to
offering historic lumber for restoration, renovation and construction.

Organizing two landmark events that engage and nurture innovation in the
tech and creative communities, she might be the busiest woman in Philly
this month. Barcamp Philly and TEDx Philly are just six days apart
next week, and they definitely won't be lame.

The energy sector has thrust Pennsylvania back into the national spotlight, and while mid-term elections have many caught in a partisan posture, it's impossible to ignore the state's recent energy development achievements and the need to keep them in the forefront.

Here's a compilation of some of those photos that capture the people who
are moving Pennsylvania forward every day. They're as diverse as the
industries and towns in which they work, but they all look good to us.

Small but ambitious Malvern startup Recro Pharma represents the changing face of the state's bioscience industry, on full display for next week's Biotech 2010, an annual symposium hosted by Pennsylvania Bio.

Candy is dandy from Central PA to the New Jersey border, and an inspired class of chocolatiers are turning Philadelphia into a hub of chocolate entrepreneurship, including artisanal offerings and nostalgic techniques.

Within Greater Philadelphia's considerable foodie community is a sub-genre known as Wild Foodies who are spreading the seed of wild edibles, both plants and small critters, that are found just outside our doors.

With its newest product, a migraine headache patch that cures pain and
reduces side effects, Conshohocken's NuPathe Pharmaceuticals and its
serial entrepreneur co-founder Jane Hollingsworth have hit the big time.

The annual event, created by design guru Hilary Jay and now the largest open-source gathering of its kind, fulfills the visions of the creative class in Greater Philadelphia and has grown to influence similar efforts elsewhere.

The annual Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe features the freshest artists and designers, and the homegrown dance performance featuring Daniele Strawmyre's Kaidan captures both the gorgeous and grotesque of Japanese horror films.

Keystone Edge's sister publication in Greater Philadelphia, Flying Kite, launched this week, and our managing editor, who will serve our sister site in the same capacity, explains how moving to Philly changed his life (but not his rooting interests).

The consortium of 12 prominent economic development and business assistance organizations she oversees has helped young PA companies pull in $18M in federal Small Business Innovation Research grants, accelerating technology commercialization statewide.

Visionary entrepreneurs are hoping to ride e-bikes to profits, and it's getting easier to buy bicycles with batteries and electric motors statewide. A proposed state law would also make them street legal.

This isn't a citizen's arrest. Rather, multiple technology firms are working at bringing emergency responders, school and other institutions up to speed with the latest and most effective security and monitoring gadgetry.

Two Ricks, Frescatore and Scott, got their start in recycling 20 years ago and have taken their next sustainable step with Fresco Green Building Supplies, connecting sustainable products with customers and installers in Lancaster and beyond.

Woodstream Corp. of Lititz teamed with Philadelphia product designers Bresslergroup to retool a product often tinkered with but rarely profited from. The next-generation Victor Quickset Mousetrap is now a model for sustainable product design.

You can get your kicks on Route 66, but can you get collectible glass pieces or award-winning sculpture made of man-made disposables? The PA Artisan Trails have turned well-traveled routes into prime creative space, enriching artists, tourists and local economies.

Exchanging services like gardening for pet-sitting may seem like simplistic bartering, but time banks from across PA are taking the concept to a new level for better health, tighter-knit communities and skills development.

He's got big shoes to fill and big priorities as the new president of PA's only statewide membership organization for the biosciences, and he'll draw on a career's worth of relevant experience in the most dynamic political and healthcare environments.

If you ever see a GreenCircle label or a B Corporation designation, you can feel confident about the claims made behind it. The companies are legitimizing a rapidly growing sector and keeping PA among the nation's sustainability leaders.

Her latest company, Bucks County-based bioCapture, has a breakthrough platform that separates biological materials and has significant potential for stem cell research, purification of therapeutics, and diagnostics.

Community organizer Paul Glover has brought the idea of local currency to Eastern PA, where multiple communities are cashing in and improving the health of local business districts as well as underserved residents.

Finding help to ensure others find you online is as easy as a click. Internet marketing companies like Solid Cactus in Wilkes-Barre and WebpageFX in Carlisle are among the leaders in search engine optimization and related services for businesses small and large across Pennsylvania.

This Bucks County startup maker of all-natural soaps may also have a
degreaser that can help clean wildlife affected by the massive Gulf
Coast oil spill, and the best part is it's a natural byproduct of used
vegetable oil.

The No. 2-ranked life sciences hub in the nation, Greater Philadelphia has overcome big pharma's job losses thanks to a growing number of entrepreneurial scientists either forced or compelled to go it alone.

The wind energy giant's latest addition is charged with developing its operations in Pennsylvania and beyond, including the deployment of its new G-90 turbines, which can each power more than 500 homes.

Art and technology are increasingly becoming intertwined as new media
creates new possibilities, and this longtime painter is helping
showcase the most exciting what-ifs at the University City Science
Center.

As our workforce and cities change, the race is on to attract young, well-educated and entrepreneurial workers. Pennsylvania has a number of groups leading that charge and they are strengthening local economies.

What started with a daughter's question resulted in a 192-page effort to distill one of humanity's greatest dilemmas into a core series of questions and answers that block out political posturing. Philly attorney William Stewart's new book could be exactly what global warming needed.

They're more than just the house band at the local commercial kitchen; Tim McGinnis and Brian McManus are culinary rockers offering up a different kind of dinner experience for foodies in Philadelphia.

Lancaster Arts Hotel and James Gettys Hotel are turning community
synergy into hospitality, connecting visitors with more than just a
bed and free breakfast, and creating the beginnings of a tourism boom.

These early adopters of Photoshop have earned attention for pushing the software's capabilities to its limits, and were tapped by Adobe recently to develop a presentation for Photoshop's 20th anniversary.

It raises $1 million for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's urban greening program and thanks to the likes of Moda Botanica, we can imagine a different kind of concrete jungle taking root in our cities. We got an early peek at the show's highlights.

At 40, he has already earned the trust and respect of the likes of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and Bette Midler. Now the passionate Ohio native is hoping to bring technology and a deft greening touch to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

She wants entrepreneurs to believe in angels and government to pay attention to the real and unique payback that angel investors can provide. That payback will be on display along with the hopes of 30 companies at the upcoming Angel Venture Fair.

For those seeking a heaping slice of Pennsylvania, the annual PA Farm Show, the largest indoor agricultural event in the country, serves it up. This year’s show, the 94th annual edition, ran from Jan. 9-16 at the sprawling Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.

It took 40 years for the telephone to find its place in a doctor's office. Email hasn't taken that long, and Pittsburgh pediatrician Paul Rosen is among many throughout PA who are working to modernize communications in healthcare, with or without reform.

Various studies indicate higher education impacts PA to the tune of tens of billions of dollars every year. We found the industry continues to evolve across the state in ways as varied as the institutions themselves in our higher education progress report.

With two recent acquisitions, this IT solutions company in Delaware County is positioned to expand its revenues and stature as an integrator of its customers' technologies, and its CEO is on the hunt for more deals.

With vast natural beauty and historic cities and towns, PA makes for pretty fertile ground for photographers. Our shooters captured some of the state's finest visions in the last year, gift-wrapped in this holiday slideshow.

A successful entrepreneur by the time she was a high school junior, Catherine Cook is a driving force behind the wildly popular social networking site for teens she founded with her older brothers, myYearbook, which is changing the landscape of social networking.

Cafe Estelle chef/owner Marshall Green is earning a reputation for his innovative takes on classic brunch fare at his Northern Liberties eatery in Philadelphia, and reveals his secrets to baking the perfect holiday pie.

The Wayne-based venture capital company president has played a major role in his firm's growth and will share his lessons with aspiring entrepreneurs at today's Founder Factory event at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.

Village Whiskey, the latest offering from Philadelphia's hottest restaurateur Jose Garces, is indicative of the burgeoning downtown restaurant scene and the expanding foodie culture's love of nostalgia.

The Academy of Science recently appointed 34 year-old Amy Miller Marvin as its VP of Institutional Advancement, signaling a new, younger and more tech-saavy direction for the old museum, the city, and fundraising profession.

The best part about eco-fashion is it's more affordable than other green products and it can look as good as it feels. Philadelphia's So Re Fa fashion show, presented by Arcadia Boutique, strutted out the latest in green fashions.

Model, singer, and entrepreneur--Karina Bradley wears all three tags loud and proud. With a penchant for digital marketing, this Philadelphia go-getter is building her company, Dealer Synergy, and her own personal brand into blockbuster hits.

Far McKon has hacked his way to the forefront of Philadelphia's maker scene in less than two years, and anyone who has longed to do it themselves is better off for it. The upstate New York native founded The Hacktory and Hive76, two thriving hacker/maker communities.

When cracks and leaks finally began to show in Philadelphia's job market, the city went after stimulus funds to create thousands of jobs through weatherization programs. As a result, thousands of rowhomes use energy more efficiently.

Philadelphia is fertile ground for young entrepreneurs, who are staking
their claim on popular culture. Check out our slideshow, the second in
a reoccurring series of young creatives across the Commonwealth who
have opened up shop for themselves.

In Phoenixville, arts and entertainment have put the city's downtown on centerstage and spurred development. Increasingly, cities across the state are recognizing the arts as an economic driver that can spark revitalization and draw crowds back to downtowns.

The 48th Annual Philadelphia Folk Fest descended on Schwenksville last week along with thousands of attendees and big-time bands like The Decemberists, Iron and Wine, Deer Tick, Langhorne Slim, The Del McCoury Band and a host of homegrown Pennsylvania groups.

Philadelphia's hottest new dining district is on East Passyunk Avenue. The old standbys like Marra's and Lucio J. Mancuso & Son are thriving alongside newcomers like Izumi, the area's only place for sushi, Capogiro Gelato and a handful of new places slated to open in September. Here's a walk-through.

A tradition of great Italian dining, popular taverns and a recent
influx of young creatives have established a
vibrant dining scene in Philadelphia's oldest commercial district. New and old are melding on the Avenue to form an intriguing new South Philly destination.

Bill Clark has a knack for innovation that works. After a successful career as a food industry executive, he founded Philabunance eight years ago and has grown it into one of the region's top nonprofits.

A billboard that greets thousands of eyes every day next to 30th Street Station, near heart of the University City section of Philadelphia, announces Arcadia University, located 12 miles away in the suburb of Glenside, as the nation's preeminent study abroad school.

Small-scale urban farming is gaining popularity in Commonwealth cities
as attitudes change about where we get our food. As urban agriculture
catches on, groups like SPIN-Farming look to recast farming as a small
business for entrepreneurs in cities and suburbs.

We talked with Exit skate shop's Steve Miller about the transformation of Pop's Playground, a near-derelict park in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood that has been rebuilt as a skatepark and celebrates its grand re-opening Saturday, July 25.

Remember the music from your original Nintendo games? That decades-old digital music is finding new life in the form of chiptunes. We spoke with Philadelphia-based chiptune artist Don Miller, aka NO CARRIER, about the burgeoning 8-bit music scene in Philly.

Amid the picturesque fields of Central Pennsylvania, the Hershey Center
for Applied Research is emerging as a new, hi-tech model for business
incubation and acceleration. Just don't call it a business incubator.

Comcast and Verizon have been trading blows in Philadelphia for a
while--vying for hearts, minds and subscriptions. But last month,
Verizon sent Comcast a cease and desist order, claiming the cable
giant's attack ads were illegal. But neither company is backing down, which might be good for Philly customers.

The Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center
hosted the state's first manufacturing summit on sustainability June 24. We spoke with the DVIRC's Mark Basla about how local manufacturers can
get a leg up by being more efficient.

Michael O'Halloran, head chef and owner of Bistro 7 in Philadelphia's Old City, shows Keystone Edge how to make his sumptuous beet terrine salad. O'Halloran plans to offer the bold flavors of Hong Kong street food at his new restaurant, Kong, opening in July in Philly's Northern Liberties.

AnySource Media CEO Mike Harris wants to bring Internet video to HDTV,
and his Malvern-based startup has built a software platform that does
just that. What's more, his company has a revenue model that might just
make the venture profitable.

We sat down with the guys behind the highly acclaimed 100K House to find out about their company's next project, which is to build even more energy efficient homes than before--with a wider selection of design options.

As research universities across the Commonwealth focus more resources
on innovation and industries, they're getting savvy about how to turn
laboratory and classroom ideas into cutting-edge technology companies.

Unlikely as it might seem, startup companies continue
to crop up across southeastern Pennsylvania. As larger companies drop
talent to cut costs, networks of entrepreneurs are forming dynamic
communities and fueling a surge of small startups in the region.

Philadelphia is fertile ground for young entrepreneurs, who are staking
their claim on popular culture. Check out our slideshow, the first in what will be a reoccurring series of a young
creatives across the Commonwealth who have opened up shop for themselves.

The story of Malvern-based Xoxide is that rare tale of three high school computer
whizzes making millions; it is a tale of computer shells, tachometers,
blow driers, bird cages, and after-market Ford Mustang parts.

The American Institute of Graphic Arts helped launch the First Annual
Philadelphia Design Awards this spring, pushing the city's dynamic
design community one step closer toward its rightful place in the sun.

As CEO and founder of Malvern-based USA Technologies, George Jensen has overseen huge profits for the company in the last few years. Last June, USA Technologies reported
$16 million in revenue--$7 million more than fiscal 2007. We spoke with
Jensen about his company's
remarkable growth, its leadership in the industry, and how technology
is changing the way consumers make purchases.

One of the hallmarks of springtime in Philly is the 9th Street Italian Market Festival: two days of food, music and tons of people packed into the city's famed 9th Street Italian Market. Check out our slideshow of the market and try to make it out to the festival this Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17.

From May 1 to May 6, restaurants throughout Philadelphia's river ward
put their best dishes forward for the area's first-ever Restaurant
Week--as sure a sign as any that these
post-industrial neighborhoods are on the rise.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has begun sending funds to America's most troubled cities. Interest in how tax dollars are being spent is high, so we thought we should let you know where Pennsylvania's sizable piece of the funding
pie is going to end up. Here's a look at three large funding recipients--and what they plan to do with your money.

In case you don't know, The Philly Roller Girls is a skater-owned and operated all-girl roller derby league that brought roller derby back to Philadelphia in 2005. The roller girls are a site to see; check out our slideshow of their match on March 7.

By offering incentives for TV and film production companies to shoot in
Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth has helped create a nascent
industry--and a workforce to sustain it. But if the incentives dry up
amid a tight state budget, will it be a wrap for the film industry in
PA?

Next week, Philly Startup Leaders will host The Entrepreneur Expo, at which some 40 local entrepreneurs will exhibit their startups and a handful will give presentations. We spoke with one of the expo organizers, Jim Cecere--who is also a Philly entrepreneur in the process of launching an asset management firm--about the state of the startup community in Philadelphia and why it's thriving even amid tough economic times.

In 15 years, Generation Y, or 'Millennials,' will dominate the
workforce in PA and nationwide. What do they want from potential
employers, and how will they need to deal with a reeling economy today?
Some Bethlehem groups are trying to sort it out.

Jill Kowalski and the DVGBC are in the business of greening up the
building industry, and business is good. We spoke with Jill about how
standard practices are changing among designers and developers, and why
they seem to be changing so quickly.

Beer Week rages on in Philly, with America's number one beer-drinking city making the most of it (espresso stout on DRAFT!?). Beer events and specials are literally everywhere you turn, and Keystone Edge has been keeping an eye on the festivities. Here's what we've seen so far...

In the past year, building innovations have provided Philadelphia with
a number of affordable and sustainable homes. Could a new prefab
design--the weeHouse--bring affordable green homes to Kensington?

One sure way to beat the late winter doldrums is by going to the 2009
Philadelphia Flower Show, 'Bella Italia,' which runs through March 8.
If you can't make it in person, do the next best thing and check out
our awesome slideshow.

Philly's Chinatown came alive with dragons and drums and fireworks recently to ring in the Year of the Ox. The 2009 Chinese New Year began on Jan. 26, and Keystone Edge was there for some of the fanfare. They say the Ox is a sign of prosperity. Here's to the Ox.

On the heels of Philadelphia's beer renaissance, a few bars are finding success in classic
cocktail culture and pre-Prohibition mixology--and helping to redefine Philly's fast-fading
shot-and-beer image.

The ubiquity of Philadelphia's historic rowhomes belies a city teeming
with 21st-century architecture. Design firms and architects are toying
with time in neighborhoods like Old City and Society Hill, where
innovation is unfolding behind classic brick facades.

Philadelphia's creative economy is strong and growing. To get a better sense of how the city's creative class is an economic driver and how the region can tap into it, we talked with Kelly Lee, executive VP of Innovation
Philadelphia.

When Scranton native Tim O'Brien decided to go to work for himself in
the real estate business, he did his homework. Four years and a
national mortgage crisis later, the 25-year-old is still in the game,
and gaining ground.

No city rings in the New Year quite like Philadelphia. The Mummers
Parade, certainly one of the most bizarre folk traditions in the country,
lit up Broad Street on New Year's Day in a swirling mass of string bands,
colorful costumes, and beer.

In an uncertain economy, top VC firms in Pennsylvania are sticking to
what they know works best: software and information technology
companies with solid business models and well-laid plans for growth.

With credit markets frozen and the economy in recession, it might seem
like the proposed 1,500-foot American Commerce Center in Philadelphia
will need a series of miracles to survive. But the mixed-use behemoth has already managed to get the zoning approvals
it needs from City Council, and also reportedly has hefty financial
backing. Against the odds, plans are moving forward. All it needs now
is a small miracle.

In terms of annual revenue, which is expected to top $57 billion next
year, video games are the new Hollywood. So shouldn't game developers
get the same incentives to do business here that filmmakers do?

Pennsylvania's $7 billion brewing industry abounds with successful
craft brewers--entrepreneurs who have steadily grown their businesses
in the face of huge challenges. The next huge challenge: Looming changes to the way beer is sold in the Commonwealth.

About four years ago, Chad Ludeman and his wife Courtney bought a house
and spent two years and their life savings working to restore and
rehabilitate it. Then on Memorial Day 2006 Chad came home from his
engineering job and told his wife he wanted to sell their house, quit
his job, and build an affordable "green" house, proving to the world
that you don't have to be wealthy to build and live green.

Is urban agriculture the future of sustainable urban living? Farmers
markets and community gardens are multiplying across the Commonwealth
as more people choose to buy locally produced food--or grow their own.

Web designers, reporters, and a host of other professionals in Pennsylvania are shrugging off allegiance to a single company and striking out on their own as freelancers. The result is a new way of working, marked by an intensely creative entrepreneurial spirit.